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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27865570">Don't Ask, d'état</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/squidgie/pseuds/squidgie'>squidgie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargate Atlantis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Don't Ask Don't Tell, Episode: s02e17 Coup d'Etat, M/M, Rodney is sneaky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:08:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,566</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27865570</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/squidgie/pseuds/squidgie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Set post episode S02E17, "Coup D'état", Evan comes back to Atlantis after being considered killed in action, worry about David Parrish.  He immediately decides to make some changes in his life, damn Don't Ask, Don't Tell.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan Lorne/Parrish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>SGA Saturday Prompt Challenge</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Don't Ask, d'état</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the SGA Saturday prompt: "Stubble/Stumble". Also, I hate titles, so the only thing this title has going for it is a multisyllabic rhythm. :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were a lot of cruel things in the world.  That, Evan Lorne, was sure of.</p><p>He'd seen his share of suffering.  It seemed universal; no matter if it was Earth or whatever planet he stepped on, there was some kind of suffering going on, from death and disease to poverty.  And it broke his heart.</p><p>But the worst thing that he'd experienced was the agony of knowing what David had gone through while Evan had been kidnapped.  Or rather, <i>not</i> knowing what David had gone through.  At least not exactly.  His heart broke that much more as Carson reiterated what had happened in his absence.  Because while Evan had been kidnapped, held by the Genii all because of the Ancient gene somewhere in his DNA, David hadn't been told.  There was nobody to tell him that Evan's team had been kidnapped.  No one for him to talk to when a body was found that was supposed to be Evan's, burned beyond recognition and wearing Evan's dog tags.  No one to comfort David, the most gentle, beautiful, soulful person Evan had ever met.  </p><p>All because of a stupid fucking rule.</p><p>As soon as Carson had cleared Evan, he made his way to the greenhouse.  The place that was special to them both because it was where Evan had found the courage to ask David out.  The first place where the words, "I love you" had been shared between them.  And as he rounded the corner, he heard David's sing-song voice as he talked to his plants.  Except he wasn't exactly talking to the plants; he was talking to Evan's ghost, a whispered, "I wanted to marry you, Evan. Did you know that?  Take you home.  Let you meet my folks on the little farm they have in Alberta.  They would have loved you, Ev..."</p><p>Evan felt his heart break just a little bit more.  He wasn't supposed to hear that, he knew, and he didn't want David to be embarrassed by startling him during his confessions.  So Evan quietly walked away a few dozen feet, tucked his feelings away, put a smile on his face, and ran full speed into the greenhouse, where he summarily startled David Parrish so much that he dropped his gardening tools.</p><p>"Evan?" David asked.  There were tears in his eyes almost instantly, and Evan did everything to fight them, though they came.  David reached out and touched Evan's shoulder, the barest hint of a smile on his face.  "Is it?  Is it really you?"</p><p>Instead of responding with words, Evan reached up, took David's face between his hands, and gently kissed him.  "Hey, Boo," he said as tears rolled down his cheeks.  "Yeah, it's really me.  We just escaped and got back."</p><p>"But I thought," David began, but turned away instead of finishing his sentence.  When he finally turned back, his own tears had made tracks through the dirt on his cheeks.  Dirt and tears that Evan pushed away with a thumb.  </p><p>"No, no, no," Evan replied.  He pulled David down into another kiss, then leaned his head against David's shoulder.  "It's okay, Boo.  I'm okay."</p><p>David raised his hand to Evan's cheek, then pulled him up to study him.  "It's really you," he said, his voice barely louder than a whisper.</p><p>Evan smiled in response.</p><p>"Goodness, I'm a mess," David said as Evan reached out and took his hand.  He looked up, then added, "We should-"</p><p>"First thing's first," Evan replied, cutting him off, "you're moving in with me."  It wasn't even a question.</p><p>David looked at him, concerned, even as his fingers played with the stubble that grew in thick along Evan's jawline.  "You sure?"</p><p>"Hey, spouses get to live together," Evan said.  He smirked at David.</p><p>"Evan Christopher Lorne, are you-"</p><p>"David Allen Parrish," Evan said as he got down on one knee.  They both looked back as Katy Brown and a couple of other scientists walked into the room, David's expression changing to something between surprise and panic.  "Will you do me the honor of being my husband?"</p><p>David's strong arms pulled Evan up, and the small crowd cheered them on as David pulled Evan into an embrace.</p><p>~*~*~</p><p>They'd spent the rest of the day moving David's modest belongings from Earth and his overflowing collection of plant snippets into Evan's quarters as news of Evan's proposal made it through Atlantis's gossip channels.  Evan knew he was probably breaking some protocols, but he didn't care.  He was determined to stop letting other people hinder his happiness, even if it meant he had to leave the Air Force.  Not something he had planned for, but his and David's lives came first from the moment he proposed.</p><p>After filling out a bit of paperwork, including a new Next of Kin form and a request for leave, Evan marched to his commanding officer's quarters.  Of course, Sheppard wasn't there, so Evan went to the two places he knew Sheppard would most likely be.  It wasn't the Mess, but as he walked closer to Rodney McKay's lab, he heard Sheppard talking in muted tones.</p><p>With an intentional stumble that caused the sole of his boot to create a sound that echoed off the short hallway walls and a clearing of his throat, Evan walked into the lab.  He smiled as he found Rodney McKay busy at a laptop and Sheppard leaning against the table, his body looking like it was threatening to fall over like a slinky.  "Sir," Evan said with a quick salute and then smiled at the scientist.  "Doctor McKay."</p><p>Sheppard returned the salute, while McKay smiled.  "Oh, Lorne," he said, "welcome back."  McKay's smile grew, even as he gave Sheppard a bit of side-eye.  "And congratulations."</p><p>Sheppard looked at Evan first, then McKay.  "Congratulations. On what?  On not being dead?" </p><p>"He proposed," McKay said as he rolled his eyes.  He turned to Sheppard.  "You knew that, didn't you?" he asked, then whacked Sheppard on the arm lightly.  "<i>Tell</i> me you knew that."</p><p>The expression on Sheppard's face turned a bit unreadable.  "Officially?  No," he said, then leaned closer to Evan.  "Umm, is this an official thing, or..."</p><p>"What the hell?" McKay asked before Evan could respond.  "What do you mean, 'officially'?"</p><p>Thing was, this <i>should</i> be an official thing.  But at the same time, Evan just wanted to tell John - the friend that he'd made - not just Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard, his commanding officer.  They'd shared a lot over their time on Atlantis.  But Evan also knew that certain things had to be taken care of.</p><p>"You know, Rodney," Sheppard replied, his voice tight, "there <i>are</i> some things that, as a commanding officer, I'm not allowed to ask, and he's," he said, pointing to Evan, "not allowed to tell."</p><p>"Oh, please?  That old policy?"  McKay rolled his eyes and went back to his laptop, his keys flying over the keyboard.</p><p>"Yeah, Rodney.  <i>That</i> old policy."  He turned to Evan, looking exasperated.  "So I need to know, is this-"</p><p>"Doesn't matter," McKay said as he turned his laptop toward Sheppard.  "Lorne, you can say whatever you want.  Fuck whoever you want.  Marry whoever you want.  And the US Military can't do anything about it."</p><p>Sheppard spluttered for a moment, then finally settled on, "Listen, Rodney.  I get it - it's stupid and antiquated and no way to run Atlantis, much less every branch of the US military.  But when we-"</p><p>"Did you read the charter?" McKay asked, interrupting him.</p><p>Sheppard looked at McKay, then at Evan, and then finally back at McKay.  "The charter?"</p><p>"Charter for the Multinational City-State of Atlantis, as adopted by all governing bodies prior to any of us stepping foot on the city, like three years ago."  Doctor McKay looked smug.  There was something he wasn't telling him or Sheppard.  "The charter that dismissed any discriminatory policies off <i>any</i> government's military or civilian contractors, including the dismissal of <i>Don't Ask Don't Tell</i>?"</p><p>There it was.</p><p>Sheppard spluttered for a moment, and Evan instantly felt like he'd had a weight lifted off his shoulders.  </p><p>"Let me see that," Sheppard said, then took McKay's laptop from him.  He glared at the screen, then held it out to Evan.  "This is on page 4,247 out of over 5,200 pages, Rodney," he whined.  "How the hell was <i>I</i> supposed to know this?"</p><p>As Sheppard and McKay began to bicker, Evan took the chance to lean forward and drop his paperwork in front of Sheppard.  He smiled.  "I'm just gonna," he said as he hiked a thumb over his shoulder.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, get the fuck out," Sheppard said as he waved his hand in dismissal, absolutely no heat to his voice as he turned back to McKay, letting forth some other exchange.  If anything, it sounded like Sheppard and McKay were back to their usual selves, their argument nothing more than lighthearted banter that sounded like arguing to other people but was just how they were.</p><p>Their raised voices followed Evan out into the hallway, Evan able to keep a straight face until he heard Sheppard practically scream, "I don't know, Rodney.  Maybe when we started sleeping together last year?"</p><p>"But you said you read the charter, you dumbass!"</p><p>There was a short silence from McKay's lab, followed by the distinct sound of two men laughing.  After the briefest of pauses, he heard Sheppard add, "Yeah, but I'm <i>your</i> dumbass, dumbass."</p>
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